The book tells the story of a number of these lives. For most people, however, life would go on with every day concerns being paramount. This was to plunge England into a civil war that was to last for many, many years, turning England into a virtually lawless and tumultuous land, until Maude's son became King Henry II of England.
Maude's first cousin, Stephen of Blois, then usurped her rights and proclaimed himself king. The English barons, for the most part, however, refused to swear fealty to her. King Henry I had died without a male heir. Early twelfth century England was a country in a state of flux. The author weaves a rich and colorful tapestry of people, places, and events surrounding the building of a magnificent cathedral in the medieval town of Kingsbridge. This masterful, well-written saga of life in twelfth century England is epic storytelling at its best.
